Ball mark repair tool and method for repairing a ball mark

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses an improved ball mark repair tool and method that quickly and easily repairs ball mark indentations in golf course greens One embodiment of a tool for repairing ball marks according to the present invention, comprises a body and a corkscrew housed within and extendible from the body. The corkscrew turns when extending from the body to turn into a ball mark indentation and raise the indentation. One embodiment of a method for repairing a ball mark indentation according to the present invention, comprises driving a corkscrew into the ball mark indentation area while the corkscrew is turning. The corkscrew is then turned to allow the spiral of the corkscrew to pull up the soil and turf in the indentation. The turning of the corkscrew is then reversed to withdraw the corkscrew from the indentation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to hand tools and more particularlyto a hand tool used to repair ball marks on golf course greens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] One of the primary concerns in golf course maintenance is keepingthe greens in good repair, which generally means keeping the surfacesmooth and keeping the grass green. This not only makes the golf coursemore aesthetically pleasing but also allows puts to roll truer ongreens; both of which add to the enjoyment experienced by the golfers onthe course.

[0003] One of the objects of golf is to hit the ball on a green from faraway as possible. Golf balls can land on a green after being hit from adistance of more than 200 yards. When the ball hits the green, thesurface of the green suffers an indentation from the compression of theturf and soil on impact, referred to as a ball mark. If the indentationis not repaired, the surface of the green is less level and thecompressed grass in the indentation can die. This can result in a smallbrown patch of dead grass in an otherwise green surface.

[0004] One of the most popular ball mark repair tools is a small handheld device comprising a body with two parallel prongs extending fromthe body. The body is held in the golfer's hand between the thumb andforefinger with the two parallel prongs extending away from the hand. Torepair a ball mark using this tool, the golfer must hold the tool in hishand with the prongs directed down and bend over until the prong andhand are at the level of the green's surface. The golfer then forces theprongs into the surface of the green in and around the ball mark andlifts the indented turf and soil. It can take several motions to fullylift the indentation and after it is lifted, the golfer usually steps onthe lifted indentation to align the lifted area with the surroundingsurface of the green.

[0005] This process can be burdensome and awkward because the golfermust bend dramatically and because of the numerous motions required toproperly repair the ball mark. The bending motion can also result inback injury or fatigue. As a result, many golfers do not properly repairtheir ball marks as can be evidenced by ball mark damage to many greens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention discloses an improved ball mark repair tooland method that quickly and easily repairs a ball mark in typically oneor two motions. One embodiment of a tool for repairing ball marks ongolf course greens according to the present invention, comprises a bodyand a corkscrew housed within and extendible from the body. Thecorkscrew turns when extending from the body to turn into a ball markindentation and raise the indentation.

[0007] Another embodiment of a tool for repairing ball mark indentationson golf course greens according to the present invention comprises acylindrical body with a handle mounted at one end of the cylindricalbody. A base is mounted to the end of the cylindrical body opposite thehandle, the cylindrical body vertically arranged with the base at thebottom of the body over the ball mark indentation and the handle at thetop of the body. A corkscrew is arranged in the base, with the handlebeing operable to cause the corkscrew to rotate and extend from the baseto turn into and raise the ball mark indentation.

[0008] One embodiment of a method for repairing a ball mark indentationaccording to the present invention, comprises driving a corkscrew intothe ball mark indentation area while the corkscrew is turning. Thecorkscrew is then turned to allow the spiral of the corkscrew to pull upthe soil and turf in the indentation. The turning of the corkscrew isthen reversed to withdraw the corkscrew from the indentation.

[0009] In operation, the tool's base is placed over the ball mark withthe base's central hole over the center of the ball mark indentation.The handle slides down the cylindrical body, causing the corkscrew toextend from the body while it is turning. The corkscrew turns into theturf and soil of the indentation. Once the corkscrew is fully extendedthe handle slides further down the cylindrical body and continues toturn the corkscrew, which results in the grass and soil below beingpulled up by the corkscrew. When the handle is released and slides backup the body, the corkscrew turns out of the raised grass and soil, andis retracted back into the delrin base.

[0010] The holes left in the turf and soil by the corkscrew provide theadditional advantage of aeration. The holes leave an opening for air andwater to pass into the turf and soil, which allows for faster re-growthof the turf and repair of the ball mark.

[0011] The present invention allows ball mark indentations to be moreeasily and conveniently repaired. The user does not need to bend over asfar compared to the more popular ball mark repair tool, and the ballmark can be repaired in fewer motions. This make the entire process lessburdensome and awkward, which can lead to more golfers repairing theirball mark indentation. This in turn can lead to golf course greens beingkept in better condition for the enjoyment of all golfers.

[0012] The tool and method according to the present invention have beendescribed for use in the context of ball mark indentation repair, butthey can also be used for other purposes. They can be used in anyapplication where turf and soil can be raised. For example, the tool canbe used to pull weeds by placing the tool over the weed and allowing thetool's corkscrew action to pull up the weed.

[0013] These and other further features and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a ball markrepair tool in accordance with the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the tool shown in FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tool in FIG. 2, taken alongsection lines 3-3;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a bottom elevation view of the bottom delrin base usedin the tool of FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the bottom delrin base shown inFIG. 4;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the top delrin base used in thetool of FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the delrin handle used in thetool of FIG. 1.

[0021]FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the main body used in the toolof FIG. 1;

[0022]FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of a helical shaft used in thetool of FIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of a top bearing stop used in thetool of FIG. 1; and

[0024]FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a bottom-bearing stop used inthe tool of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025]FIGS. 1-3 show one embodiment of a ball mark repair tool 10 inaccordance with the present invention. It generally includes acylindrical body 12, with a handle 14 at one end and a base 15 at theopposite end. The body 12, handle 14 and base 15 can be made ofdifferent metal or plastic materials with a suitable material for thebody 12 being aluminum and the handle 12 and base 14 being black delrin.

[0026] The base 15 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, and FIG. 6shows the base's mounting component 16. The base 15 and mountingcomponent 16 are discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3-6. The base15 has an axial disk section 18, and a cylindrical section 20, with thedisk section 18 having a central hole 22 that is aligned with the tool'slongitudinal axis and opens to the cylindrical section 20. The section20 houses a corkscrew 24 that is also aligned along the tool'slongitudinal axis, with the pointed end of the corkscrew aligned withand directed out the central hole 22.

[0027] The base mounting component 16 is arranged to mount the base 15to one end of the cylindrical body 12 such that the base 15 becomes anintegral part of the body 12. The component 16 can be made of manydifferent materials, with a suitable material being aluminum. Thecomponent 16 has a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter slightlylarger diameter than the cylindrical body 12 so that the component 16can slide up and down the body 12 with a close fit between the two. Thecomponent 16 also has an outer threaded surface 24 that mates with aninner threaded surface 26 (best shown in FIG. 3) on the inside surfaceof the base's cylindrical section 20. After the mounting component 16 ispositioned on the body 12, the base 15 is threaded onto the component 16to fix the two together as on the body 12.

[0028] The handle 14 is shown in more detail in FIG. 7 and the body 12is shown in more detail in FIG. 8, both of which are discussed withreference to FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8. The handle 14 is sized so that it canbe gripped by the user's hand to operate the tool 10, with the handle 14being positioned at the end of the body 12 opposite the base 15. It hasa cylindrical gripping section 28 and a disk shaped pushing disk 30,although other embodiments of a handle according to the presentinvention do not have a disk. The disk 30 has a central axial hole 32having a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of theoutside surface of the cylindrical body 12, so that the component 32 canslide up and down the body 12 with a close fit between the two. Theinner surface of the gripping section 28 has first and second regions28, 28 b with different inner diameters. The inner surface of the firstregion 28 a has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than thediameter of the outer surface of the body 12, while the second region 28b has a slightly larger inside diameter than the first region 28 a. Thehandle is positioned on the body 12 with its pushing disk 30 closest tothe base 15. The handle 14 slides up and down the body 12 with a closefit between the two. In operation the user grasps the gripping section28 and applies a pushing force to the disk 30, causing the handle toslide down the body 12.

[0029] The body 12 has a longitudinal slot 33 running down much of itslength. The handle has an internal pin 34 that extends from its innersurface toward its longitudinal axis. The pin 34 is sized to fit withinthe slot 33 and ride within the slot 33 as the handle 14 slides up anddown the body 12.

[0030]FIG. 9 shows a helical shaft 36 that is disposed within thecylindrical body 12 and is discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.The shaft 36 can be made of many materials, with a suitable materialbeing stainless steel. The shaft 36 has a corkscrew track 38 runningalong its length. When the shaft 36 is disposed within the body 12, aportion of the track 38 is accessible through the body's slot 33 suchthat the handle's pin 34 fits can pass through the slot 33 and into thetrack 38. When the handle 14 slides up and down the body 12, the pin 34,slot 33 and track 38 combination causes the shaft 36 to rotate withinthe body 12. The shaft 36 rotates one direction as the handle 14 slidesdown the body 12 and rotates the opposite direction as the handle 14slides back up the body 12. The corkscrew 24 is mounted to the end ofthe helical shaft 36, opposite the handle 14 so that the corkscrew ishoused within the cylindrical section 20 of the base 15.

[0031] The helical shaft 36 is held within the body 12 between a topbearing stop 40 at the handle end of the body 12, and a bottom bearingstop 42 and the delrin base end of the body 12. The top and bottombearing stops 40, 42 can also be made of many different materials, witha suitable material being aluminum. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the top bearingstop and bottom bearing stop in more detail, respectively and arediscussed in combination with FIGS. 1 and 3. The top bearing stop 40 hasa cylindrical shape and generally comprises a threaded section 44 and alarger diameter top stop section 46. The threaded section 44 has threadsdesigned to mate with first threads 50 on the top inner surface of thebody 12 (best shown in FIG. 3), to mount the top-bearing stop 40 to theend of the body 12.

[0032] The top stop section 46 has a slightly larger diameter than theouter surface of the body 12 and the inner surface of the handle'scylindrical gripping section 28. When the handle is at the top of thebody 12, the handle's inner edge 50 butts against the wider diameterstop section 46, which prevents the handle 14 from sliding off the body12. The handle's second region 28 b has a wider diameter than its firstregion 28 b, to allow the top stop section to slide within the region 28b when the handle 14 slides down the body 12.

[0033] The top bearing stop 40 also has top bearings 52 housed withinthe threaded section 44. The smaller diameter section 54 of the helicalshaft is positioned with the bearings 52. This arrangement allows thetop bearing stop 40 to hold the helical shaft 36 within the body whileat the same time allowing the shaft to rotate about its longitudinalaxis.

[0034] The bottom bearing stop 42 also has a cylindrical shape, withdifferent sections having different diameters at their outer surfaces.It has a threaded surface 56 designed to mate with the second threads 58in the body 12. To mount the bottom-bearing stop 42 to the body 12, thebottom-bearding stop 42 is turned onto the body 12 causing threads 56 tomate with the second threads 58.

[0035] The bottom bearing stop 42 also has a bottom stop section 60,which has a slightly larger diameter than the outer surface of the body12 and the inner surface of the base mounting component 16. When thestop 42 is mounted to the body 12 and the base 15 is at the bottom ofthe body 12, the inner edge 62 of the mounting component butts againstthe wider diameter stop section 60, which prevents the base 15 fromsliding off the body 12.

[0036] The corkscrew end of the helical shaft 36 has a smaller diametersection 64 that passes through the bottom bearing stop 42 and into thebottom delrin base 17. The bottom-bearing stop 42 includes bearing 66having an inner surface with a diameter slightly larger than the outersurface diameter of the shaft section 64. The bearings allow the shaft36 to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

[0037] A first spring 68 is mounted on the body 12 and is disposedbetween the handle 14 and an axial ridge 70 on the body 12, with thespring urging the handle 14 to the end of the body 12 opposite thedelrin base 17. When not in operation the spring holds the handle 14 atthe end of the body 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, with the handle'sinner edge 50 against the wider diameter stop section 46 of the topbearing stop 40. A second spring 72 is also mounted on the body 12between the ridge 70 and the base 15, urging the base 15 to the end ofthe body 12 opposite the handle 14, also as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Whennot in operation, the second spring 72 holds the inner edge 62 of themounting component 16 against the wider diameter stop section 60 of thebottom bearing stop 16, which holds the base 15 on the body 12. Manydifferent springs can be used for the first and second springs, withsuitable springs being commercially available from Century Spring, Inc.

[0038] In operation, the tool 10 can be used in a new method accordingto the present invention for repairing ball mark indentations, althoughthe tool 10 can be similarly used for other purposes such as weedpulling. The user holds the tool 10 by the handle's gripping section 28.The tool 10 is then placed on the green over a ball mark with the disk18 of the base 15 over the ball mark such that base hole 22 is over thecenter of the ball mark indentation. The user then pushes the handle 14down the body 12, against the pressure of the first spring 68 and towardthe ball mark indentation. This causes the first and second springs 68,72 to compress simultaneously. The compression of the second spring 72causes the base 15 to slide up the body 12, which allows the corkscrew24 to extend from the base 15 through the central hole 22. Thecompression of the first spring 68 allows the handle 14 to slide downthe body 12. The pin 34 of the handle 14 riding in the body slot 33 andshaft track 38 causes the shaft 36 to rotate as the handle slides downthe body. Accordingly, the corkscrew 24 rotates as it extends from thecentral hole 22, causing the corkscrew 24 to be driven into the turf andsoil of the indentation as it rotates.

[0039] The base 15 continues to slide up the body 12 until the secondspring 72 is fully compressed between the ridge 73 and base 15. At thispoint the corkscrew 24 is fully extended from the central hole 22 andhas reached its maximum depth in the turf and soil.

[0040] After the base 15 stops sliding up the body 12, the handle 14continues to slide down the body 12. This causes the corkscrew 24 tocontinue turning without reaching any deeper into the turf and soil.This turning action causes the turf and soil to ride up the spirals ofthe corkscrew 24, effectively pulling up the turf and soil of the ballmark indentation. As the handle 14 continues sliding down the body, thefirst spring 68 eventually becomes fully compressed between the handle14 and the ridge 70. At this point the turf and soil of the ball markindentation will have been pulled up to the level of the surroundinggreen. When the first and second springs 68, 72 are compressed they urgethe handle and base, respectively, to the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and3.

[0041] When the user releases the downward pressure on the handle 14,the first and second springs 68, 72 expand. This expansion causes thehandle 14 to slide to one end (top) of the body 12 and the delrin base15 to slide to the other end (bottom) of the body 12. This causes thehelical shaft 36 to turn in the opposite direction from when the handle14 is sliding down the body 12. This results in the corkscrew 24 alsoturning in the opposite direction so that it turns out of the now raisedturf and soil. At the same time, the base 15 slides down the body 12,causing the corkscrew 24 to retract into the delrin base 15. This actionallows the corkscrew 24 to turn out of the raised turf and soil whilekeeping the base at the raised height of the turf and soil.

[0042] Although the present invention has been described in considerabledetail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, otherversions are possible. The tool 10 can use different components with indifferent ways. The components can have different sizes and lengths. Thehandle 14 can be extendible by using a telescoping type arrangement.Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limitedto the preferred versions of the invention described above.

1. A tool for repairing ball marks on golf course greens, comprising: abody; and a corkscrew housed within and extendible from said body, saidcorkscrew turning when extending from said body to turn into a ball markindentation and raise said indentation to repair said indentation. 2.The tool of claim 1, wherein said body is cylindrical and elongated,said corkscrew extending from one end of said cylindrical body.
 3. Thetool of claim 2, further comprising a handle mounted on and capable ofsliding on said cylindrical body, the sliding of said handle in onedirection causing said corkscrew to turn in one direction and extendfrom an end of said cylindrical body.
 4. The tool of claim 3, whereinthe sliding of said handle the other direction causes the corkscrew toturn in the opposite direction and retract into said cylindrical body.5. The tool of claim 3, wherein said handle compresses a spring whensliding to extend said corkscrew, said spring biasing said handle toslide back and retract said corkscrew in said body.
 6. The tool of claim1, wherein said corkscrew turns into the ball mark indentation as itextends from said body, said corkscrew continuing to turn after it isfully extended to raise the indentation to the level of the surroundinggreen.
 7. A tool for repairing ball mark indentations on golf coursegreens, comprising: a cylindrical body; a handle mounted at one end ofsaid cylindrical body; a base mounted to the end of said cylindricalbody opposite said handle, said cylindrical body vertically arrangedwith said base at the bottom of said body over the ball mark indentationand said handle at the top of said body; and a corkscrew arranged insaid base, said handle being operable to cause said corkscrew to rotateand extend from said base to turn into and raise the ball markindentation.
 8. The tool of claim 7, wherein said handle is capable ofsliding along said cylindrical body to cause said corkscrew to extendfrom and retract into said base.
 9. The tool of claim 7, wherein saidbase is capable of sliding along said cylindrical body, said corkscrewextending from said base when said base slides up said cylindrical bodyand retracts into said base when said base slides down said cylindricalbody.
 10. The tool of claim 9, wherein said base slides up saidcylindrical body when said handle slides down said cylindrical body andsaid base sliding down said cylindrical body when said handle slides upsaid cylindrical body.
 11. The tool of claim 8, further comprising afirst spring on said cylindrical body, the sliding of said handle downsaid body compressing said first spring, said first spring biasing saidhandle up said cylindrical body.
 12. The tool of claim 9, furthercomprising a second spring on said cylindrical body, the sliding of saidbase up said cylindrical body compressing said second spring, saidsecond spring biasing said handle down said cylindrical body.
 13. Thetool of claim 7, further comprising a helical shaft arranged within saidbody and engaged by said handle, the operation of said handle causingsaid helical shaft to rotate and causes said corkscrew to rotate. 14.The tool of claim 7, wherein the length of said handle is extendible.15. A method for repairing a ball mark indentation, comprising: drivinga corkscrew into the ball mark indentation area while said corkscrew isturning; turning said corkscrew to allow the spiral of said corkscrew topull up the soil and turf in said indentation to repair saidindentation; and reversing the turning of said corkscrew to withdrawsaid corkscrew from said indentation area.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein said corkscrew is arranged at the end of a body and said bodyfurther comprises a handle operable to drive and turn said corkscrew.17. The method of claim 16, wherein said corkscrew is driven and turnedinto the indentation by sliding said handle along said body in onedirection and said corkscrew is withdrawn from said indentation bysliding said handle the opposite direction.
 18. A hand tool, comprising:a body arranged over an area of turf and soil; and a corkscrew housedwithin and extendible from said body, said corkscrew turning whenextending from said body to turn into the turf and soil beneath saidbody, said corkscrew turning further to raise the turf and soil beneathsaid body.
 19. The tool of claim 18, further comprising a handle mountedon and capable of sliding on said cylindrical body, the sliding of saidhandle in one direction causing said corkscrew to turn in one directionand extend from an end of said cylindrical body.
 20. The tool of claim19, wherein the sliding of said handle the other direction causes thecorkscrew to turn in the opposite direction and retract into saidcylindrical body.